Valentine
by Relatively Unknown
Summary: A bittersweet SasuSaku songfic. RR if you can.


**A/N**: I promised a SasuSaku to the readers of _Blood Song_. Here it is. And since it seems  
I'm nearly incapable of writing a happy WAFF with these two, here's the best I can do. A  
muse of mine suggested this song and the thread it follows, which is loosely based on the  
music video. 

Warning-- bring the tissues.

The song is "Valentine" by Martina McBride (and Jim Brickman).

****

SANITIZED: LYRICS HAVE BEEN REMOVED. THIS IS THE FFNET APPROVED, SANITARY, MADE-FOR-KIDDIES VERSION. TO VIEW THE ORIGINAL, GO TO MY SITE AND VENTURE UNDER "THE WORKS" AND THE APPROPRIATE SHOW.

* * *

_MISSING WORDS_

Sakura smiled, reflecting, as she walked the familiar path. She was remembering how  
everything had finally come together, as if in a fairytale; she and Sasuke. He had, it  
seemed, to fully intend on rebuffing all her offers until time's end, but, to her and  
everyone's shock, he finally agreed one day.

He never did give her a full explanation on why he changed his mind so sudden, but in  
her heart, she knew. He had glimpsed his future and knew what was in store for him, and  
knew that it was no way to live. He agreed to her offer, and both of them soon found that  
they really did care deeply for each other. She had already known that on her behalf-- but  
Sasuke hadn't, and it had, at first, scared him.

When that had happened, she thought that would have been the end of it. Instead, he came  
back to her, on Valentine's Day no less, with a bouquet of red roses in one hand and  
small box in the other. It was on that day, there in the hall outside her apartment door, that  
he proposed to her.

And she had accepted.

_MISSING WORDS  
_

That had been the first day she had ever seen him laugh so freely with joy. He would  
never do it often, but always she would be graced with his smile; a genuine, not the smirk  
he gave the rest of the world. He made her feel special in that way, as if it was their little  
secret. He always gave her that feeling, even now.

Sakura's smile grew, despite herself, as she thought back on those past times.

And they were, indeed, married, exactly a year to the day-- on Valentine's Day. It hadn't  
been a very large wedding, with only close friends and her relatives invited. Naruto, of all  
people, had been the best man, and couldn't help but pull a prank on Sasuke just minutes  
before the ceremony started-- he "lost" the ring. Sasuke had gone into a panic like he had  
neither seen before, so Naruto told her, then nearly killed him with a Uchiha-patented  
death glare when he produced the supposedly lost ring. Naruto almost killed himself from  
laughing so hard.

Ino, Hinata, and TenTen had been her bridesmaids, with her mother as maid-of-honor,  
and Kakashi, Neji, and Lee as the groomsmen. It may not have been the picture-perfect  
wedding, but it had been fun, joyous, and most of all, _hers_.

_MISSING WORDS_

The grand-scale part had been reserved for the reception, with no less than Tsunade  
herself overseeing the proceedings. The entire village had been invited, and the partying  
continued deep into the night, long after she and Sasuke had retired to the Uchiha Manor.  
Her new home.

She had, at first, some new-bride jitters-- what if the spell wore off? What would happen  
then? Such thoughts plagued her daily, until finally she banished them from her mind.  
She couldn't think like that; Sasuke did love her, and told her so at least once a day. She  
had no reason to doubt that, and, as if proving that point, she became pregnant less than  
three months after their wedding.

Sakura continued down the well-beaten path, thinking back on those hard months. She  
was first-time mother, and, by nature, a worrier; the two collided, and she nearly drove  
everyone around her crazy. It had taken some long, comforting talks from her mother and  
other women before she had finally calmed down. Or, she did, until she learned she was  
pregnant with not one, but _two_ boys. If she was overjoyed, then Sasuke was ecstatic.

Not that he ever showed anything but that stone-faced mask of his in public. His eyes,  
though, told the world all they needed to know. Sasuke was going to be a dad, and he  
couldn't wait.

Sadly, he would never get the chance.

_MISSING WORDS_

Sakura led her two boys, one small hand in each of her own, to the stone. It was early in  
the morning, the dew still wet on the grass. The stone glistened under the morning sun,  
the cool ebony reflecting the world around them solemnly. The stood in front of the stone,  
silent, reverent, until Kaemon spoke.

"Is tou-san really here?" he asked, his brother sharing the same wide-eyed look that most  
three-year-olds had. They were the spitting image of Sasuke, except their hair had already  
grown longer than his had ever been.

"No, he isn't, not always. You see, my children, his spirit is all around you, watching over  
you. He loved you two dearly, and still does. He always will," she told them. Kaemon  
looked back to the stone, but Kenjiro nodded quietly.

Sakura sighed, thinking back to the events that she knew Sasuke had foreseen years ago,  
back in his initial acceptance of her offer. He knew that one day he and Itachi would fight,  
and also knew that it would be very unlikely he would return. And, Sakura thought,  
holding back tears, was exactly what had happened. He had dealt the final blow to Itachi,  
destroying him; but in doing so, he had also suffered fatal injuries. He never made it  
home alive.

And in the matter of less than three years, Sakura had been dated, married, borne two  
sons, and widowed. And yet, despite the great sadness that had befallen her, she wasn't  
sad. She knew it would happen-- it had been only a matter of time. And she wasn't left  
alone-- she had two great sons, Kenjiro and Kaemon, and was surrounded by friends and  
family.

Yes, Sasuke was gone, but only in the literal sense. In her heart, he was still very much  
alive. And every year, on Valentine's Day, their anniversary, she brought a dozen red  
roses to lay at the stone in remembrance of him. This year, her sons had been old enough  
to join her.

And somehow, she knew Sasuke couldn't be more proud.

_MISSING WORDS_

* * *

**A/N**: There, now aren't you glad I suggested the tissues? I seriously cannot, no matter  
how hard I try, write happy get-together WAFF for these two. Maybe's it's because I  
prefer several other pairings over them. Who knows.

A lil' bit of info:

_Kaemon_-- joyful; right-handed (old Samurai name)  
_Kenjiro_-- second son who sees with insight (he's the younger twin)

I have this thing with names... Read _Blood Song_ for more. Anyhow, I hope you liked this.  
_smile_ And seriously, can't you just see Naruto pulling a stunt like that? _big grin_

Later,

CrazyAce


End file.
